A tale of two brothers
by Agni
Summary: AU If Ryoma and Kunimitsu were brothers, would their relationship be shadowed by jealousy as Yuuta and Syusuke’s was? How will Ryoma’s first few days in Seigaku be?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Title: A tale of two brothers

Author: Agni

Summary: If Ryoma and Kunimitsu were brothers, would their relationship be shadowed by jealousy as Yuuta and Syusuke's was? How will Ryoma's first few days in Seigaku be?

Xxx

"Kunimitsu."

The Seigaku captain looked up at his mother and raised a brow in silent question. She walked into the room and sat down beside him on his bed, "About Ryo-chan…"

Kunimitsu concealed a smile at the nickname. Since Ryoma was the youngest in the family, he was the most coddled, even their stern grandfather dotted on him. It was little wonder why his otouto grew to be so arrogant. "What of him?"

"Tomorrow will be his first day at Seigaku and you know he will join the Tennis club."

He frowned, "Of course." Ryoma's talent was not something to be wasted. He was not going to let his brother slip away.

"Take care of him." She whispered as she stood, "And please remember that he is your brother first and foremost." She leaned forward a pressed a loving kiss against his forehead, "Don't be too hard on him. He is not used to his nii-san being stern with him."

Kunimitsu simply nodded, bidding her goodnight as she left his room. When he was alone, he lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Just the other day, he had had a discussion with Fuji about Ryoma's entry into Seigaku. The genius had given him a discrete warning.

Fuji thought that history would repeat itself.

He would have been worried. He would have been concerned that his shadow would alienate Ryoma. He would have thought that a wall would be formed between them similar to the wall of jealousy between Fuji and his younger brother.

_Would…_

He was not though. He knew Ryoma and his otouto was not someone who would be fazed by such things.

Besides, the difference between the two of them was too easy to spot. Ryoma's playing style was different though it was impossible for them not to be influenced by each other. Kunimitsu did not doubt that soon his little brother would start giving him a run for his money.

Unnecessary worries.

With a soft snort, he closed his eyes. He should be more worried about the havoc his mischievous little brother would cause than how his popularity would affect him.

Xx

"Ryoma." The Seigaku captain called in exasperation, "Wake up. We will be late if you don't wake up now."

There was a faint, sleepy grumble but Kunimitsu knew that Ryoma was not awake. With a sigh, he opened the door and walked into Ryoma's room. "Every morning. You really need to learn to wake up on time, otouto." He spoke softly, he removed the sheets off the boy and gently pulled his half-asleep brother to a sitting position, "Come on, Ryoma, this is getting very frustrating."

Large, golden-brown eyes opened to peer at him sleepily. Kunimitsu ruffled Ryoma's hair, garnering an irritated scoff from the boy, "Ohayou nii-san."

The captain smirked faintly, "Ohayou, finally. Will you ever be able to awake up without my assistance, otouto?"

Ryoma grumbled before walking off to the bathroom to finish his morning rituals. Kunimitsu shook his head before walking out of the room and downstairs towards the kitchen.

"Again?" the amused question came from his father. Kunimitsu simply nodded in response.

His mother laughed softly, "Ryo-chan is so active when he is playing tennis, or any sport for that matter. However, the rest of the time, he simply seems to love sleeping and drinking that grape Fanta of his."

His grandfather simply scoffed but did not comment.

Ryoma walked into the kitchen, dressed immaculately in his crisp, new Seigaku uniform with his book-bag on his shoulder and tennis bag in his hand. He looked at the breakfast on the table and gave a pleased smirk when he saw Japanese cuisine. "We aren't really late, are we, nii-san?" he asked as he sat down for breakfast.

"You would have been if Kunimitsu had not woken you up." Ayana said as she placed a bowl of miso soup in front of her youngest son. "It is your first day. I thought you were looking forward to joining Seishun Gakuen."

Ryoma nodded, "I am."

"Well, you need to wake up on time." She reprimanded gently, "And don't give your brother trouble. He is the Seigaku tennis team captain as well as the student council president this year so he has quite a bit to do."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, dear." Their father said with a small smile, "If anything, I have a feeling that Kunimitsu will be more relaxed with Ryoma on his team than he has ever been before." He turned towards his eldest son, "Isn't that right?"

Kunimitsu nodded, "After he gets through the ranking matches and becomes a regular," He glanced at his brother, "He mustn't let his guard down."

Ryoma smirked, "Have you ever seen me playing tennis with my guard down, nii-san?"

"Take care to keep that up." Kunimitsu said sternly, narrowing his eyes. "Seigaku has a formidable tennis team. Your entry into the regulars will not be easy."

"But he will be in the regulars." Ayana said with a soft smile on her face, "Isn't that what you wish to say, Kunimitsu? You never once mentioned the possibility that Ryoma may not become a regular at his first try."

Both Ryoma and Kunimitsu gave her a dry look and she laughed. Her sons were so full of confidence and skill and they seemed to believe in each other as well.

This year, Kunimitsu may as well have a chance to achieve his dream of winning the nationals. She had full confidence in both their abilities.

Moreover, she trusted in Ryoma's ability to reach every goal his brother set up for him. Her husband was right, if anything, Ryoma would shoulder a part of Kunimitsu's responsibility and become a supporting pillar of Seigaku's tennis team.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Kunimitsu and Ryoma finished their breakfast. Bidding the adults goodbye, the two boys left quickly, the younger brother giving their family cat an affectionate rub before leaving the house.

Ayana sighed and put away the dishes.

"Dear, Ryoma is just going to school and you are acting as though he is going overseas." Her husband's amused voice caused her to pause.

She gave him an irritated look before sitting down. "Well, just last year, Fuji-san was telling me how worried she was about her sons. There was a rift between her sons. She tells me it was because Syusuke-kun is considered a genius tennis player and everyone was comparing Yuuta-kun with him." Her father-in-law looked at her with a frown, "I worry that the same would happen between Kunimitsu and Ryoma… and they are so close…"

Tezuka Kuniharu looked at his wife with a considering look, "Forgive me for saying this, Ayana, but don't you think that you are overreacting a bit." He raised his hand to stall her protest, "I feel bad for saying this, nevertheless, hasn't Yuuta-kun always been a little too temperamental and easily influenced by the opinion of others?" he leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, "I know it must be difficult for the child and Syusuke-kun is definitely an exceptional boy…"

Tezuka Kunikazu scoffed, crossing his arms with an amused look on his face, "You have been blessed with two equally exceptional boys." The grandfather of the two aforementioned boys stated, "If Yuuta-kun and Ryoma were alike, you would have something to worry about. Kunimitsu is an impressive child; there is no doubt about that. However, while, in Tennis Kunimitsu maybe a better player than Ryoma currently is, in everything else, they both are at the same level."

Kuniharu nodded, looking pleased, "Especially academics. I think it surprises many. Everyone seems to assume that Ryoma is not as good as Kunimitsu at academics."

"That may be because Mitsu-kun looks so serious all the time." Ayana giggled, "Oh, the number of times people mistake him for an adult. If our boy wasn't such an honest child, he would have taken advantage of it."

Kuniharu chuckled, "That's true." He shook his head in amused and mild wonder, "There is no doubt in my mind that Ryoma will be the Seigaku tennis captain and the student council president in his senior year, just as Kunimitsu is."

"Hmph." Kunikazu scoffed, "You worry needlessly. Unlike Fuji Yuuta, Ryoma is not easy to overshadow, even by Kunimitsu. Besides, Ryoma's respect for Kunimitsu knows no bounds." He leveled her with a reassuring glance, "Out of all brothers I have seen, their relationship is by far, the strongest. It is not something that can be damaged so easily."

Xxx

"I heard Tezuka-senpai's younger brother is joining Seigaku today." A girl whispered to her friend, "I wonder what he will be like? Will he be an all rounder like Tezuka-senpai is?"

Her friend frowned, "I don't think so. I think he will just be ordinary… you know, not as impressive as Tezuka-senpai. I wonder if he will transfer schools like Fuji Yuuta-kun did after being subjected to his brother's fame?"

Ryoma raised a brow, his golden-brown eyes glowing in amusement. That was why his nii-san looked so fiercely protective as soon as they stepped onto the campus. Ryoma knew that the students who had seen them together had already concluded that he was Tezuka Kunimitsu's younger brother.

It was so amusing to see his brother so concerned. Did he really think that such a small thing would bother him?

Shaking his head, he moved towards his class. More than anything, he was looking forward to tennis practice that would happen after school session was over.

He sat down at his desk, feeling the eyes of quite a few girls on him. He knew that in his class, no one knew he was Tezuka's younger brother.

Why were they staring at him?

As the day progressed, more and more students knew who he was. Ryoma wasn't particularly bothered by it. He ignored the whispers with characteristic nonchalance and continued with his day until it was time for tennis practice.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

"Hey, you! You play tennis right?" A loud, rather obnoxious voice asked him and he glanced over his shoulder to look at a boy his age. "Judging by the tennis bag on your shoulder, you are going to join the tennis club right?" Ryoma simply raised a brow at the boy's smile, "I am Horio."

Ryoma shrugged and continued walking down the stairs. "Did you know? This tennis club is really strong. If you talk with me, you will get a lot of experience."

Ryoma simply glanced at him before walking towards a tall senpai, "Which way are the tennis courts?"

"Oh? The tennis courts? They are that way…" he pointed towards a particular direction.

Ryoma thanked him and started walked towards the direction, ignoring the blabbering loud mouth that was following him around. His silence did not seem to discourage the boy; in fact, he seemed to take it as a permission to talk more.

The boy prodigy scowled faintly when they found the wrestling club instead of the Tennis club.

"Why that second year punk gave us the wrong directions!" the loud boy exclaimed while Ryoma simply shrugged and started walking towards the courts. He wondered briefly if his nii-san was there already, practicing. However, he recalled that Kunimitsu always spent the first few moments of practice discussing the schedule with their coach.

He looked at the tennis courts and spotted the only person amongst the Seigaku regulars that he knew.

Fuji Syusuke.

"Suke-nii!" he called out, walking towards the courts with casual confidence. The light haired genius turned his head to the side, a fond smile already on his lips. The second ace tennis player of Seigaku walked towards him, drawing curious stares from many.

"Why, if it isn't my most favorite person in the world." The genius purred, removing Ryoma's ever-present Fila cap to ruffle his hair. "Welcome to Seigaku at last, Ryo-chan."

The younger boy simply raised a brow before snatching the cap from Fuji's hand and putting it back on his head, "Arigato." He murmured before looking about the courts, finding many people staring at him, "Ne, will you introduce me to the regulars?"

Syusuke smiled deviously, wondering what the little Tezuka was up to.

He had always thought that both Kunimitsu and Ryoma were very much alike but in some aspects, Ryoma was startlingly different from his older brother. In matters of deviousness, the younger Tezuka far surpassed his sibling.

He turned towards the rest of the regulars who were watching their interaction curiously and waved them over.

Predictably, Kikumaru was the first to bounce over, "Hey Fujiko, who is this chibi-chan?"

Fuji smiled innocently, knowing that everyone was waiting for him to introduce the child. "Well, let me introduce you to Tezuka Ryoma." He gestured towards Ryoma, who smirked, "He is our buchou's baby brother."

Several pairs of eyes went wide at the proclamation. Inui quickly removed his book and started writing the new information down. Kaidou and Momoshiro gaped at the boy, Momoshiro looking a bit paler than normal. Kikumaru bounced on his heal in excitement while Kawamura simply stood silently, a little shy.

"Ryo-chan," he gestured towards the regulars, "These are the regulars. The one with the thick glasses is Inui Sadaharu-kun, the one with the bandana is Kaidou Kaoru-kun and the one looking so nervous is Momoshiro Takeshi-kun." Ryoma smirked, "The excitable boy over there is Eiji Kikumaru-kun and the other is Kawamura Takashi-kun. Our vice-captain Oishi Shuichirou-kun is currently with your older brother discussing the order of the ranking tournaments happening soon."

Ryoma nodded and bowed to the senpai, "Please to meet you."

"Wai!" Kikumaru suddenly screamed, starling Ryoma a bit. "He is so cute." He pounced on the younger Tezuka, holding him tightly as little girls would hold a teddy bear.

Fuji chuckled when Ryoma gave him an unimpressed look. "Ne, Ryo-chan, seeing that your over-protective idiot of a brother is not here, how about a match?"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes, "Don't call nii-san an idiot." He scowled, "But I am up for a match. Who am I playing against?"

Fuji tapped his chin. Tezuka would kill him if he played with Ryoma without his permission. Kikumaru would be a good choice but he was a third year, which meant that Ryoma would have to reveal some of his true strength in that match.

Tezuka would strangle him gleefully if Inui got data on Ryoma too early.

His best bet was Momoshiro since he was injured and would push Ryoma far enough to reveal at least a small percentage of his talent without giving too much away.

"How about Momoshiro?"

Ryoma arched a brow and looked at the second year before turning to Fuji, "You are planning something, Suke-nii and nii-san is not going to like it."

Trust the perceptive brat to catch him. "Come now, Ryo-chan. You are too suspicious of me." He smiled innocently, "Are you scared? Momoshiro is a regular after all."

Ryoma gave him a dry look before unzipping his tennis bag and removing a Bridgestone Grandea racket. He straightened and observed his opponent a bit, tilting his head to the side. The first thing he noticed was the injury. He glanced at Fuji with a raised brow, wondering whether the older boy was purposefully placing him against Momoshiro. If so, why?

Shaking his head, he took his place by the net, waiting for a toss to decide who was going to serve first. Momoshiro looked amused and confident that he would win. Ryoma simply raised a brow, unfazed. The second year boy looked at Ryoma with a smirk, "Rough or smooth?"

"Smooth." Ryoma said as Momoshiro twirled the racket. It fell rough and Momoshiro grinned. "Too bad. I will let you serve though."

Ryoma snorted and walked back to the baseline. Fuji perked up a little when he saw that Ryoma was about to serve with his right hand. He leaned forward in anticipation, expecting the child's impressive Twist Serve.

He was disappointed. It was a very good serve but hardly a twist serve. Regardless, Ryoma scored an ace.

"Hoi hoi! Ochibi is good." Kikumaru said with wide eyes as Ryoma aced through the first set. "He is acing Momo!"

"Ii Data." Inui murmured as he opened his ever-present book and started collecting data. "Even though he is Tezuka's younger brother, I did not expect him to be good."

During Momoshiro's service game, they got the opportunity to see a rally but to their surprise, Ryoma was able to keep up with Momoshiro easily.

"He is fast." Kaidou hissed, his eyes observing the match keenly.

Fuji brought his hand to his mouth to conceal a smirk. This was just what he had intended to do. Ryoma was not playing at his best but he was proving to everyone who was watching the match that he was good. Fuji knew that his fellow regulars would soon be able to perceive that Ryoma was holding back a large portion of his abilities.

The rally continued for a while and Momoshiro was smiling, thinking that he had Ryoma beat. However, much to his dismay, Ryoma executed a perfect drop shot, causing Momoshiro to sit down on the court in frustration. "You can do that too?!"

Ryoma simply adjusted his cap and peered at Momoshiro with his piercing golden-brown eyes. Momoshiro gulped, feeling a little intimidated. Who knew that a little freshmen brat like him could be so overpowering on the court?

He watched, cautiously, as Ryoma moved his racket from his right hand to his left. Suddenly, he remembered that their Captain was left-handed as well and he knew that playing against good left-handed players was not easy at all. He panicked. '_Damn it! I took too long._' His leg was now giving him trouble.

"Wait! Time!" he called out. Kikumaru and some other members of the club protested but Momoshiro simply grinned, "I will let you go this time."

Ryoma raised a brow and snorted.

"What a pity!" Kikumaru protested, "If Momoshiro's ankle wasn't injured…"

"No." Inui said as he adjusted his glasses, "Ryoma-kun already knew about it." He said the first name awkwardly, knowing that they would have to get used to it because having two Tezukas in the club would lead to confusion. "He was going easy on the injured senpai."

Kikumaru's eyes widened, "Oh. How considerate of him."

Fuji simply chuckled, pleased that everything went according to plan. Although Ryoma had not proved himself to be a regular, he definitely had shown that he was a good player. Moreover, Inui did not manage to collect any real data from the match. Ryoma did not play his Twist serve. He did not use the Split step or any of his other, impressive techniques.

He knew that Tezuka had already decided that Ryoma would be on the ranking matches and he had the feeling that the boy would be a regular by the end of the week.

"Ne, Ochibi, can I ask you something?" Kikumaru's voice brought Fuji out of his thoughts and he looked at the group that had assembled around the freshman. Momoshiro was there as well, grinning good-naturedly. Fuji knew that it was the right decision to let Ryoma play Momoshiro first.

The second-year power player was just the kind of person who would accept friendly competition. He would not be offended if someone younger to him defeated him.

"Hn." Ryoma said, packing his racket in his bag. "What is our Tezuka-buchou like?" Kikumaru asked excitedly, "You know, at home? What does he usually do?"

'_Uh oh…_' Fuji thought as he spotted the look in Ryoma's eyes.

The boy leaned against the chain-fence surrounding the courts, looking thoughtful. "Well, nii-san likes to drink green tea and relax on the engawa." He murmured, crossing his arms. The others nodded, not surprised. "He likes to tend to the garden as well. He says that it is a peaceful experience to water plants."

Fuji frowned; it was true so Ryoma was not up to mischief.

"What else?" Momoshiro asked eagerly as Inui noted the data down in his little book.

"He likes to sing." Fuji's lips twitched, "Though he is not very good at it." Ryoma said with a serious looking grimace, as everyone looked at him wide-eyed. "He sings when he in the bathroom, so that's good."

"Ii data." Inui murmured, looking a little surprised.

"He likes to dance as well, especially with Shiki even though nii-san does not know that I know this." Ryoma stated, nodding to himself.

Fuji bit his lip harshly to keep himself from laughing and closed his eyes. He did not want to ruin everything by letting everyone see the amusement in his eyes.

"Eh? Who is Shiki?" Kikumaru asked while Momoshiro grinned, "Did buchou get a girl-friend?"

Ryoma frowned in puzzlement; "You don't know Shiki?" he looked so genuinely confused that Fuji had to marvel his acting skills. "He named his famous Zero-Shiki drop shot after him."

"Him?" Kikumaru's eyes went wide, "Buchou is gay?!"

'_I am going to explode._' Fuji thought as he desperately tried to control his laughter. Really, Ryoma was just so sly.

"Gay?" Ryoma tilted his head to the side, innocently confused, "What does nii-san being happy have to do with anything?"

Their eyes went wide. Tezuka would kill them if they corrupted his baby brother. "Nothing." Momoshiro dismissed, looking a little pale.

"Ne, Ryoma-kun, you did not tell us who this Shiki is?" Kawamura asked tentatively, wondering who the person was. He had to be someone special if their buchou actually named his best technique after him.

"Well," Ryoma began, tentatively, looking as though he was hesitant to share the information that his brother obviously did not share with anyone.

"Well, what? Go on…" Kikumaru encouraged, wanting to know more.

"He is a white teddy-bear that kaa-san gave nii-san on his seventh birthday."

Stunned silence descended upon them.

'_I think I am turning purple._' Fuji concentrated on his breathing, praying to every God that he knew to stop the laughter that was bubbling within him.

"Wai!" Kikumaru suddenly exclaimed, "I like Teddy-bears too!"

Momoshiro snickered, "Well…" he gasped, "There is nothing wrong in treasuring a childhood toy."

Inui nodded as he wrote in his book, "Tezuka likes to dance with his childhood toy." He mentally calculated something, "The likelihood of him turning out to be a good dancing partner for girls drops by fifteen percent."

Oh, Tezuka's reputation was ruined.

"Anything else?" Inui asked his eyes keen to collect any data possible on their captain.

Ryoma frowned thoughtfully, nothing on his features betraying his amusement. Fuji actually started to wonder if what Ryoma was saying was the truth.

"Well," the boy started, "Nii-san likes to read manga."

"Really?" Momoshiro asked. Well, many people liked reading manga but he did not think that Tezuka liked it too.

Ryoma nodded, his eyes bright, "He especially likes that manga Naruto. He has all the chapters."

"Wow." Kikumaru said, "But I guess Naruto is a cool manga. I really like all that ninja action."

The youngest Tezuka nodded, "I like it too but not as much as nii-san does." He leaned forward, "Nii-san's favorite character is Uchiha Itachi." Ryoma shook his head in bafflement, "I did not understand why nii-san liked him so much. I guess I understand now."

"Uchiha Itachi, huh?" Momoshiro asked thoughtfully.

"Uh huh," Ryoma nodded in confirmation, "He likes him so much that he actually modeled his own character after him. You know… all that silent, mysterious, strong, never-smiling and stoic attitude?"

Everyone's eyes widened, including Fuji's. '_My, Ryo-chan is a genius!_' The blue-eyed prodigy was actually impressed.

"What is going on here? Why isn't everyone practicing?" Tezuka's stern voice caught their attention. The captain observed their wide-eyed expressions of disbelief, a feeling of wariness rising within him. '_What did Fuji do now?_' His gaze moved towards the tensei.

Fuji caught the accusatory look in his eyes and raised his arms in innocence, his gaze moving towards Ryoma.

Tezuka followed Fuji's gaze and paled, the wariness replaced by dread. "Otouto, what did you do?"

Ryoma tilted his head to the side in innocence, looking at him impassively and Tezuka was forced to contain a flinch. He was not sure he wanted to know. "They asked me how you behaved at home." Ryoma said and Tezuka frowned, "I told them."

Tezuka did not like the sound of that. "What did you say?"

Ryoma shrugged, "You know… that you like drinking tea while sitting on the engawa, watering the plants in the garden and reading books, etc…"

'_So cunning._' Fuji thought in wonder as he watched Tezuka's suspicious frown melt away and he nodded.

"So, what he says is true?" Inui asked and Tezuka nodded before commanding them to return to practice.

Hidden from everyone's eyes, except Fuji's, Ryoma's lips curled into a sly smirk.

"Ne Tezuka," Kikumaru said as he walked up to Tezuka. The captain raised a brow in question, "Ryoma and Momoshiro had a match just before they came… your brother is good. Though, I think that if Momoshiro wasn't injured, he would have won."

Tezuka raised a brow before narrowing his eyes at Fuji. "Oh?"

Kikumaru nodded, "His serve is fast but not up to our standards and his drop shot is good as well."

'_So, Ryoma did not use the Twist Serve or the Slice serve. Nor did he use the Split step. That's good._' Tezuka thought, nodding.

"Tezuka?" Kikumaru asked again and Tezuka hummed, his eyes focused on the practice session. "Maybe your Shiki and my Big Bear should meet one day…"

Tezuka frowned, puzzled. Looking at Kikumaru, he raised a brow, "What are you talking about?"

"Come now, buchou." Momoshiro said teasingly, suddenly interjecting in the conversation, "Your brother told us everything. We know about your beloved teddy bear called Shiki and after whom you named your Zero Shiki drop shot."

Tezuka twitched.

"Yeah, and about the bathroom singing and dancing as well." Inui commented, looking intrigued, "I had no idea that you had such varied interests, Tezuka."

Tezuka's grip on his racket tightened.

"You know," Fuji said seriously, "Although I understand the appeal, it is not exactly healthy to model oneself on a character like Uchiha Itachi." Fuji looked at Tezuka, watching those twitching features in amusement, "I mean, a person who kills his entire family at the age of thirteen and leaves his little brother traumatized… he is not exactly a good role model, is he? I can imagine the insecurity poor Ryo-chan must be feeling… seeing his brother idolize such a person. Even though it was revealed that that guy loved his brother more than anything…"

'_Poor Ryo-chan, my foot._' Tezuka fumed before narrowing his eyes, "Otouto! Fifty laps around the courts!"

The only response he got was an unrepentant smirk.

The rest of the regulars dispersed, gossiping amongst themselves and Tezuka closed his eyes in dismay. '_Why was I so worried about Ryoma? I should have worried about my own sanity instead._'

"Tezuka…"

"Not now, Fuji."

The genius grinned, "Let me just say this one little thing." He said slyly, ignoring Tezuka's glare, "Before you go crazy and decide to kill off your entire family and leave poor Ryo-chan alive, traumatized. Please tell me. You know I can help."

Tezuka scowled fiercely, "Right now, I am more inclined to kill Ryoma and leave the entire family traumatized." He grumbled.

Fuji finally gave into the need, his laughter resounding throughout the courts.

Ryoma smirked, '_Poor nii-san._'

Xxx

Ayana giggled, her hand on her mouth and her face flushed. Her husband was laughing, merriment sparkling in his eyes.

Even her father-in-law seemed amused.

"Did you have to do that, Ryo-chan?" She tried, she really tried to sound reprimanding but Kunimitsu's red face and twitching brows were not helping. "I thought I told you not to make mischief, Ryoma, look at Kunimitsu."

Wrong thing to say. As soon as they looked at the stoic eldest child, they burst into laughter.

Kunimitsu groaned, letting his head fall onto the table.

"Don't worry, son." Kuniharu said, his lips twitching suspiciously, "Sooner or later, they will understand that Ryoma was just joking."

"They are never going to take me seriously now." Kunimitsu groaned.

"Come now, boy." His grandfather said, "Don't sound so pessimistic. If such little things make them lose their respect in you then you have not earned their respect properly." He said, a smirk audible in his voice.

Ryoma laced his fingers under his chin and smirked, "Besides, Suke-nii knew all along that I was playing with them."

Kunimitsu glared, "That does not make me feel better."

Ryoma shrugged, "Well, it was worth a try."

The older son looked at his parents with an accusatory look in his eyes, "Why aren't you scolding him?"

Kuniharu tried to pull a serious face as he looked at Ryoma but he knew he was failing. "Ryoma, what you did…" he coughed to conceal a laugh, "Wasn't n… nice. I want you to be..behave…"

Kunimitsu groaned once against as his father snorted in laughter once again. He stood with a sigh, "I have homework to do." And walked out of the room.

Ayana looked at Ryoma with a slight frown, "Ryo-chan, was there really a need to upset Mitsu-kun? He seemed really bothered."

Ryoma snorted, "Don't worry, kaa-san. I told Fuji-senpai to tell everyone that I was pulling their leg. Tomorrow, they are going to be embarrassed, not nii-san." He narrowed his eyes, "No one gets to tease nii-san but me."

Kuniharu chuckled, "Why didn't you tell Kunimitsu that?"

Ryoma raised a brow, "I wanted to let him stew." He smirked, "Besides, he is no longer worried, is he? About that whole Fuji Yuuta incident repeating itself?"

Ayana's eyes widened, "You knew about it?"

"Of course." Ryoma snorted, "He was glaring at anyone who so much as _looked_ at me wrong this morning. Suke-nii must have said something to get nii-san all bothered." He looked serious for a moment, "If I hadn't done anything, he would have kept on worrying as days passed. Students at Seigaku really are gossipmongers and they really do compare me to Mitsu-nii-san a lot. It does not bother me but it bothered him."

Ayana smiled fondly at her son, "You are such a good boy, Ryo-chan. Looking after your nii-san like that."

Kuniharu smirked and ruffled his blushing son's hair, "I told you, you had nothing to worry about Ayana. Ryoma takes care of his brother just like his brother takes care of him."

Standing outside the door, Kunimitsu shook his head, a fond look in his eyes before walking to his room.

'_I guess he does._'


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Title: A tale of two brothers

Author: Agni

Summary: If Ryoma and Kunimitsu were brothers, would their relationship be shadowed by jealousy as Yuuta and Syusuke's was? How will Ryoma's first few days in Seigaku be?

AN: Finally got the inspiration I needed to continue this story. I am adding a set of new warnings. This will most likely turn out to be yaoi so I apologize to people who were expecting Ryoma with Ryuuzaki. _Never gonna happen._ Pairings wouldn't happen for many chapters mostly because Ryoma is too young to be involved in any sort of romantic relationship. This will be AU and since I don't find humor easy, I will be adding a little bit of drama in this.

Possible pairings for Ryoma will either be Fuji or Yukimura… possibly Atobe but I prefer him with Tezuka.

Enjoy.

Xxx

Kunimitsu sighed in exasperation as slid the door to Ryoma's room open and walked over to the sleeping prodigy. As usual, he gently pulled his little brother into a sitting position and ruffled his hair, causing those large golden-brown eyes to blink open and peer groggily at him.

"Ohayou nii-san." Ryoma muttered before leaning forward and curling into Kunimitsu's arms, enjoying the protective warmth with a yawn, his eyes falling shut again.

The older brother arched his brow in surprise. This was something new. Ryoma never went back to sleep when Kunimitsu woke him up. "Otouto?" he asked softly, combing his fingers through Ryoma's greenish-black hair. "Are you feeling alright?" When he got no answer, he narrowed his eyes in concern, "Ryoma?"

Ryoma groaned before pulling away and stretching, "Yeah." He mumbled before silently gesturing towards a thick book on the bedside table.

Kunimitsu shook his head before pushing Ryoma out of the bed, "Then it is your fault. I have told you countless times that you should not stay up late reading." Instead of walking out of the room as he did everyday, Kunimitsu stayed on the bed. Ryoma had the tendency to return to bed as soon as he was out of the room when he slept late.

It took a while but Ryoma soon emerged from the bathroom, looking awake, toweling his hair roughly. "Ne, nii-san. The ranking matches will be soon, right?"

"Yes." The older brother responded, reading the summary of the book Ryoma was interested in thoughtfully, "They happen every month."

Ryoma turned to look at him as he put on his shirt, "Will I be in?"

Kunimitsu looked up from the book, looking at his brother with narrowed eyes. "Yes."

He paused, "But nii-san… won't people accuse you of being partial?" he asked with a concerned frown.

"Hardly." The captain said softly, "One cannot fake talent. When you'll play the matches, it'll be apparent to everyone that you're skilled enough to be on the regular team." Light brown eyes were focused intently on the younger boy, "You don't need to worry about me. Play your best and it'll shut everyone right up."

Ryoma looked at him with wide eyes, snickering suddenly, "I can't believe you just said that!" Kunimitsu smirked faintly before handing Ryoma his coat. The younger brother put it on and returned his brother's smirk. "I'll win all my matches, nii-san, just you watch." He raised his fisted hand towards the older boy, "I'll fulfill all your expectations, I guarantee it."

Kunimitsu met Ryoma's fist with his and nodded, "Good." He narrowed his eyes seriously, "Now, don't let your guard down. The potential of all the players on the team is very high and they aren't someone you can have an easy victory over."

Ryoma nodded, "You don't need to remind me. I'll be cautious."

The older brother stood as soon as Ryoma finished getting ready before placing his hand on the younger boy's shoulder and gently pushing him out of the room. "I do believe that we'll be late if we linger any longer."

Ryoma simply rolled his eyes but didn't protest.

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As soon as they entered the school, Ryoma slipped away from his brother, letting the captain deal with his duties. He looked about, searching for someone with a small smirk on his lips.

A familiar pair of cunning blue eyes met his and the smirk transformed in a devious grin that only Fuji Syuusuke could match. Ryoma leisurely walked towards the older prodigy, looking about nonchalantly. "Ne, Syuu-nii, can we have a little _chat?_"

"Of course." Syuusuke replied graciously, smiling softly in amusement. He knew that if Kunimitsu spotted them talking to each other without being under a sane person's supervision, he would start to have heart palpitations. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Ryoma simply smirked in response.

Kunimitsu, who was on his way to meet the coach, paused in mid-stride as a shiver raced down his spine. He recognized the reaction all too well and there were only two reasons for it.

He would feel it when he was facing a dangerous opponent like Sanada or Yukimura or when Ryoma was up to no good and was planning to cause mayhem. The older Tezuka narrowed his eyes and resisted the urge to walk back and put a leash on his little brat.

"Tezuka-kun." He looked up and nodded at Coach Ryuuzaki and she smiled at him in amusement, "Something bothering you?"

The Captain shook his head, "I wished to speak to you about placing Ryoma in the Ranking matches."

Ryuuzaki raised a brow at him, "From what I know of you, I can say that you aren't someone who would use your position to benefit your brother. So there has to be a concrete reason for putting Ryoma in the Ranking matches." She observed him for a while before realization dawned, "You think that he'll win." She whispered, sitting down and looking out at Oishi who was looking at Tezuka questioningly.

"Ryoma has been personally trained Echizen Nanjirou since he was very young." Tezuka stated bluntly and Ryuuzaki's eyes widened. "I believe that he has the potential to surpass both Uncle Nanjirou and me. He has won three times out of ten against me and I've used everything in my arsenal excluding Pinnacle of Hard work against him. Moreover, I've never won against him in straight sets."

Oishi looked startled, surprise clearly written on his face while Ryuuzaki looked mildly impressed, "Three of ten matches, huh? That's quite a record against someone like you. You believe that he can stand up against the regulars?"

Tezuka looked very serious and stared at his coach straight in the eye, "Don't take my word for it. Let him participate and you'll see how skilled he is." He narrowed his eyes, "I know that I could be accused of biasness since we've never permitted First years to participate." He paused, seeming earnest, "However, I plan to reach the Nationals this year and we'll need Ryoma to do that."

"Are you serious?" Oishi asked in shock.

The Captain nodded. Ryuuzaki chuckled, "Very well. You're the Captain of the team; you decide who plays in the Ranking matches." Tezuka simply nodded, looking out of the window.

Instantly, he narrowed his eyes when he saw a match happening on the court.

Arai and Ryoma?

What had his otouto gotten himself into now?

xxx

Arai and his friends stood by the courts, glaring at their captain's little brother as he interacted with the regulars. It seemed as though he was a part of them already, mingling with them as though he had the right to walk the same ground as they did.

Just because he was their captain's little brother.

Arai scowled, crossing his arms as envy burned in his veins. Usually, the Regulars kept their distance from other members of the tennis club. Their practice sessions were very intense and they were on a level that was above the ordinary members of the club. Everyone who joined the tennis club wanted to be a part of the select, elite group and there he was, a midget first year, interacting with them as though he had earned the right to be amongst them.

Arai narrowed his eyes; he was going to make the brat pay. He would make Ryoma the laughing stock of the club.

He smirked slightly when the brat headed towards the clubroom, knowing that finally, his plan was about to unravel.

Xx

Ryoma narrowed his eyes as he walked into the clubroom. He noticed the absence of the tennis bag that contained his three precious Bridgestone Grandea rackets. Those rackets were priceless to him and cost an awful lot.

He scanned the room once again. Indeed, his tennis bag was nowhere to be found. With an eyebrow raised, he calmly turned around and walked back towards the courts. Without a racket, he wouldn't be able to play but he could always borrow one from others. However, he knew that he needed his rackets back before the ranking matches. He didn't want to risk using an unknown racket during an important match.

"Oi, where's your racket?" Horio asked loudly as he approached the court. Ryoma simply shrugged, looking about. He just needed to see how everything played out.

Besides, if his brother found out about this, there was no doubt in his mind that someone was going down. With a faint, well-concealed smirk, he watched as Arai approached him, his friend holding an old, dusty looking racket.

'_So that's how it is, huh?_'

"Oi, brat! Where's your racket? Are you so arrogant that you'd attend practice without it?" Arai was smirking arrogantly as Ryoma raised a brow at him. "Since you don't have a racket of your own, I'll be generous and give you one." He threw the dusty old racket at him and Ryoma inwardly frowned at the rattling sound the racket made. "So, how about a match, Mr. 'Oh-I'm-the-best-player'?"

Horio and the two freshmen that always seemed to accompany Ryoma frowned in worry while Ryoma calmly assessed the racket in his hand. He could feel the amused gaze of Fuji and the troubled eyes of other regular players on him. He knew that Fuji would stop them from interfering.

"For a first year, that racket is just right for you." Arai said with a smirk and Ryoma looked up at him, expertly concealing his amusement. Were all his senpai so juvenile? "If you get what I'm saying? Stop acting so cocky."

'_Look who's talking._' Ryoma thought to himself. This was getting interesting.

"Who knows, if you comply, those three precious rackets will come out." Ryoma's gaze landed on him piercingly. '_So careless._' He thought to himself, '_Mitsu-nii will slaughter him when he finds out._'

He hummed in amusement before turning and walking towards the court. "Oi! Ryoma, where're you going?" Horio asked nervously and Ryoma snorted delicately.

"They're only weaklings who can only think up dirty methods to play." He stated in boredom.

"W…what! Are you accusing me of hiding your rackets?" Arai asked loudly and that was confession enough for everyone. They looked at Arai in astonishment while Fuji smiled.

"Well," Ryoma murmured, adjusting his cap before gazing piercingly at Arai, "Let's do this."

Arai flinched, unnerved by the intensity of Ryoma's challenging gaze.

Fuji chuckled. "Don't worry." He murmured to Eiji who actually stepped forward to help. "He can handle it." The red-haired regular looked at him skeptically and Fuji just smiled charmingly in return.

A few minutes into the match got everyone concerned because Ryoma couldn't score a single point with the old racket. It was obvious to everyone that he was going to lose and Arai was smirking to himself, pleased with how everything was working out.

Ryoma paused, calmly assessing the racket once again. "So that's how it is…" he murmured to himself thoughtfully. Arai stilled, becoming nervous. '_The brat's bluffing_' he thought to himself uneasily.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes and turned his body, hitting the ball precisely and scoring a point. He observed the racket once again, mildly disappointed by the slow pace of the ball. The racket really did not deserve to be in the selves of their club.

"Man, that was so fast." Horio hollered and Ryoma raised a brow, scoffing.

"Don't get cocky just because you got lucky once, brat." Arai yelled as he served and Ryoma hummed thoughtfully, returning all his shots and scoring every time he hit.

"See, Eiji," Fuji murmured, smug amusement coloring his voice, "He told himself, 'A great painter would never use his brush daintily.'" He said and Eiji frowned in confusion.

The rest of the game went on smoothly. Ryoma didn't concede a single point after he got control of the racket. With almost insulting ease, he finished the game with a 6-1 score. The younger boy scoffed, looking at Arai with a raised brow, "Now, my rackets?"

"Rackets?" A low voice asked and everyone stiffened. Ryoma concealed a smirk as he turned to look at his older brother who was observing the scene with a small frown. The older Tezuka took note of the score and then looked at the racket in Ryoma's hand. Narrowing his eyes, Kunimitsu understood the situation. Arai wouldn't have been able to score a game against Ryoma even if Ryoma didn't play seriously. That meant that the non-regular had used unfair means and if the racket in Ryoma's hand was any indication…

"Arai." He voice was low and dangerous as he scowled at the non-regular, "Where are Ryoma's rackets?" he asked softly.

Arai swallowed nervously, everyone was looking at him and he knew he was in trouble. "C…captain…" he shuttered nervously, Kunimitsu glanced sharply at Ryoma who simply shrugged and walked away. He turned towards Arai once again, "You'll get those rackets and give them back to Ryoma before you run thirty laps around the court."

"What!" Arai yelled, "But buchou! It's his fault!" he gestured at Ryoma, "Why aren't you punishing him! He is always disrespectful and behaves in such an arrogant manner! He made a fool out of everyone yesterday and he wasn't punished for that!"

Tezuka narrowed his eyes, "I clearly remember assigning him laps as punishment for yesterday's stunt." He said calmly. "As far as being disrespectful is concerned," he raised a brow, "You expect him to sit down and take whatever you say to him without complaint? You expect him to lose on purpose?"

Arai stepped back a bit, "Just because he is your brother…"

"Hey! Watch what you say to buchou!" Momoshiro yelled, scowling at him, "Now who is being disrespectful?"

Kunimitsu scowled, "It has nothing to do with him being my brother." The captain stated calmly, "I don't punish those who don't deserve it."

Arai flinched while Ryoma walked back into the courts, Arai's friends having returned his rackets. He simply glanced at the interaction between his brother and Arai. "Leave him be, nii-san." Ryoma stated in a bored tone, "You knew this would happen."

"That doesn't excuse his actions, otouto." Kunimitsu frowned at Ryoma. "Since you have your rackets with you now, I suggest you go back to your game." He turned towards Arai, "And you, thirty laps," he narrowed his eyes, "_Now!_"

Arai flinched before running off to complete his punishment. Tezuka turned and scowled at everyone, "Go back to your practice matches. We have no time to waste on such childishness." He scowled at everyone sternly and everyone scrambled to obey that order.

Ryoma smirked and he adjusted his cap, looking at his next opponent. The guy flinched and Ryoma served.

Tezuka observed the situation with a frown, swallowing the intense anger he felt at the thought of someone bullying his brother. Yes, he somehow expected such a thing to happen. However, he didn't want the past to repeat itself.

Absently, he rubbed his arm; he kept his eyes trained on Arai and his friends. Ryoma's attitude was somewhat provocative. His eyes were always challenging and because his brother was so nonchalant, his demeanor seemed to anger many. Ryoma was, perhaps, the least temperamental person that Kunimitsu had ever encountered, he tended to ignore those who bullied others but he had little idea of how dangerous they could get.

"You worry too much." Fuji murmured softly.

"I don't think so." He replied, crossing his arms, "Ryoma has a lot of potential Fuji and the will and determination to succeed at all costs… a serious injury could ruin that brilliance." He stated softly, turning his gaze away from Arai to his brother.

"You think that someone will get jealous and hurt, Ryo-chan?" Fuji asked, tilting his head to the side, "You think what happened to you in your first year would happen to him as well?"

Kunimitsu narrowed his eyes, "Isn't that a possibility?" he asked, glancing at Fuji, "This seems to be just the beginning. They're jealous because they think that we're favoring him because he is my brother." He sighed, "But what happens when they see his skills? Fuji… you know Ryoma. You know how he's and the way he behaves… even though he doesn't intend to do it, his demeanor irritates many people."

"I do believe that Ryoma can take care of himself."

"Yes." Kunimitsu murmured, "Just as I was able to take care of myself." He scowled, "I can't let that happen to Ryoma." He stated, "I will not."

Fuji sighed, "Although I understand how you feel, I'll give you this one advice." Tezuka raised a brow at him in question and Fuji opened his eyes, staring thoughtfully at Ryoma, "Ryoma is a very understanding child, Tezuka and when it comes to you, he's very perceptive. It surprises me, sometimes…" Fuji murmured, smiling softly, "Let him grow and experience some of this on his own."

"I know that." Tezuka said.

Fuji looked at him piercingly for a moment before nodding in agreement. Suddenly, a cunning smirk crossed his face and the captain frowned uncertainly. "You know…" Fuji started, his eyes gleaming, "Ryoma made a bet with some of the regulars this morning."

Kunimitsu resisted the urge to groan, "What has he done now?"

Fuji stifled a laugh behind his hand, "I believe he said that he would win all his matches during the ranking tournament. Inui, being the cunning guy he is, latched onto it. He said that if Ryoma lost even a single match, he would have to submit to being Inui's test subject for a month." Kunimitsu frowned and Fuji smirked, "Momoshiro, Kikumaru and surprisingly, Kaidou followed Inui's example and made the bet with Ryoma."

The captain sighed, "What would happen if Ryoma won?"

Fuji grinned, "They would have to follow Ryoma's each and every command for a month."

Kunimitsu raised his hand to cover his twitching lips and looked at his little brother with exasperated amusement. "They've no idea what they have gotten themselves into, do they?" he asked with a sigh and Fuji chuckled. "Very well. This would be a good reminder for them not to underestimate anyone."

Fuji chuckled and looked at Kunimitsu slyly, "You just feel very smug when your little brother defeats everyone who underestimates him." The captain only regarded him nonchalantly, "You take great pride in him."

"And it is not like this with you and Yuuta?" Kunimitsu asked with a raised brow. Fuji's smile looked rather fixed at that particular question and Tezuka tilted his head a little in silent apology.

"Tezuka, everyone started practice." Oishi informed him as he walked towards them. "Momoshiro seems to have taken a liking to your brother, they're practicing together."

Tezuka nodded and narrowed his eyes, "Keep an eye on Arai and his friends."

Oishi frowned and nodded solemnly while Fuji smiled in amusement. They were making such a big issue out of a simple quarrel. Fuji knew that he would have probably reacted in a similar manner if it had been Yuuta in Ryoma's place, still, that didn't stop him from gaining amusement from the situation.

The rest of the day passed by quite smoothly. Tezuka kept his eye on everyone. It took a little time and some stern glares but the people in the club slowly started to accept that Ryoma was there to stay. Many were convinced that he _would_ end up in the Regular team. Not only because he defeated Arai and Momoshiro, but because he was Tezuka Kunimitsu's younger brother.

It was hard for them to disregard that connection. They accepted with some resignation that it was _inevitable_ that Captain Tezuka would be partial towards his brother. From what they had observed, he was quite protective of Ryoma.

"Alright. First years, clean up, the rest, I expect you to ready and sharp for tomorrow's ranking matches. Dismissed." Tezuka announced shortly before

The exhausted members of the club moved lazily to follow the orders. Most seemed thankful that it was the end of the day. Tezuka kept his eyes on the first years, checking to make sure that they were doing their job properly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ryoma dutifully picking up the tennis balls while his classmates chattered about around him. They seemed to be talking to him but as far as he could see, Ryoma wasn't too keen on the conversation.

He wasn't ignoring them but he wasn't participating in the conversation. When they asked him something, he would answer but other than that, he kept his opinions to himself.

"Otouto." He called out and was surprised to see that not only Ryoma but also everyone from the club turned to look at him. Kunimitsu frowned. What was so interesting about two brothers interacting with each other?

"I've a few things to take care of." He informed when Ryoma was close to him, "It should take about half-an-hour to forty-five minutes." Ryoma frowned but nodded, "You can wait by the gates or spend some time in the library if you like." He noticed a smudge of dirt on Ryoma's nose and his lips twitched in fond exasperation. "Go on," he whispered, handing Ryoma a towel, he gestured toward his nose, "clean up."

Ryoma scowled and wiped the dirt of his nose, his eyes narrowed at the amusement that was obvious in Kunimitsu's eyes. "My perfect little brother looks less than perfect when he's sweaty and dirty." The older Tezuka resisted the urge to remove Ryoma's cap and ruffle his hair, as he would've done if they were alone.

Ryoma snorted, "See you later."

"By the gates?"

Ryoma nodded, "By the gates."

Tezuka nodded before walking away. As he left the courts, he could see Fuji talking to Ryoma and frowned in dismay. Nothing good ever came from the two of them working together. Both of them dearly loved to torture him.

Kunimitsu decided that he'd get his duties done as fast as possible. He knew that the amount of torture Ryoma was likely to inflict on him and their teammates was directly proportional to the amount of time he spent with Fuji. The more time he spent with Fuji, the more they'd suffer.

They got along like two peas in a pod and that had always bothered Tezuka. He had often wondered if Mrs. Fuji and his mother exchanged their babies in the past because Ryoma was so much like Fuji and Yuuta seemed a little like him.

Shaking that ridiculous thought away, he headed for the Student Council room hastily.

He was getting paranoid.

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"So, Ryo-chan, how do you like Seigaku's tennis club?" Fuji asked as he leaned against the wall that guarded the Seigaku campus. "Do you like our fellow club members?"

Ryoma glanced at him, his eyes sly and cunning. "I've yet to see their skills."

Fuji expertly concealed his amused smile. It was so like Ryoma to judge people by their skills in tennis. Very few people he paid attention to didn't play tennis. His father and grandfather didn't but Ryoma respected them almost as much as he respect Kunimitsu.

Almost.

"Your brother will be sorely disappointed in that answer."

Ryoma sent Fuji a dry look. "Nii-san is the same, as you very well know." There was a sudden mischievous smirk on his lips, "Everyone he associates with plays tennis. Including his biggest crush." He stated slyly.

As anticipated, Fuji leaned forward, his eyes open and intrigued. "_Crush?_"

Ryoma's smiled dangerously, "Crush." He affirmed, "But then again… _you_ wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Syuu-nii? Nii-san is the only person that you can't read as well as you would like to."

Fuji checked himself before he could give away his response but Ryoma's keen eyes spotted it. His lips curled into a lazy, infuriating smirk and he waved his hand, "Just kidding. My, you were almost drooling at the prospect of blackmail." Fuji narrowed his eyes dangerously but Ryoma simply hummed in response, "You'd do anything to have dirt on nii-san, wouldn't you? He's the only person you've tried and yet failed to rattle."

Fuji observed him for a long moment before smiling, "Not the only person." He stated pointedly, "But I'm patient so we may yet see how resilient both of you are."

Ryoma snorted and was about to retort when suddenly a car halted in front of them. The younger of the two recognized it and bowed his head a little, shielding his eyes and hiding his dismayed expression.

"Oi Seishounen!"

Bright golden-brown eyes glared at the man, "Ero-ji-san."

Nanjirou simply grinned and stepped out of the vehicle. "How's my favorite nephew doing?" he asked as he removed Ryoma's cap and roughly ruffled his hair. "It's so satisfying to see my hard labor pay off. You're finally following in my footsteps by joining Seigaku." Nanjirou seemed to forget that Kunimitsu was in Seigaku as well.

Ryoma's expression soured for a moment, telling both his companion just how much the thought of following in Nanjirou footsteps disgusted Ryoma. He sent his uncle a dry look. "What are you doing here, old man?" he asked bluntly while Fuji concealed an amused smile behind his hand.

Nanjirou looked entirely too innocent. Ryoma almost took a step back.

His uncle was creepy sometimes.

"Weellll, it's been a long time since we had a match… After all, how'll you be my legacy if I don't pay attention to you and make sure you're not slacking off?" he latched onto Ryoma's arm and proceeded to drag him towards his car.

"I don't want to be your legacy." Ryoma stated as he dug his heals into the ground, "Nii-san is expecting me to wait for him, let me go, ero-ji-san."

Nanjirou snorted, "Sure you want to be my legacy! I've been training you for it ever since your tiny little hands could hold the tennis racket." He grinned and quickly tossed Ryoma onto the passenger seat, securing the seat belt before Ryoma could jump out of the car. "And forget about your old-man of a brother for a moment, will you?"

Ryoma glared, his blazing eyes alight with irritation as he watched Fuji wave at him cheerfully. "This is kidnapping. Nii-san will have you arrested."

The older man chuckled, "Your mother knows where you are and my darling Rinko misses you." Ryoma's face softened a little at the mention of his aunt. "Besides, your old-man of a brother is over-protective! He's shielding you from the realities of life!" Nanjirou declared passionately.

Ryoma sent him a dark look, "Stop calling nii-san that. And he isn't shielding me from realities of life, he's shielding me from your perverted nature and I thoroughly approve of him doing so."

Nanjirou looked at him with feigned hurt written all over his face. "I'm not a pervert! I'm simply someone who appreciates the beauty of the female form. Great artists have done for thousands of years and I don't see you calling them perverts!"

Ryoma snorted, "Yeah right. You are shameless. I saw how you leered at the Venus De Milo during our recent trip to Paris. Had the Ancient Greeks been alive, they would have had you hanged for disrespecting their Goddess."

"I wasn't leering, I was admiring the skill of the artist who made her!" Nanjiro protested, "And besides, I think Ancient Greeks and I would have been like-minded people." A dreamy expression crossed his features, "I imagine cities filled with statues and paintings like the Venus De Milo… made out of marble, shining in the Sun and those beautiful Greek women in their thin, flowing chitons…"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes; Nanjirou was effectively disrespecting the ancient culture with his perverted fantasies. "Keep your eyes on the road, pervert." The child stated bluntly, "If we get into an accident and get hurt, I'll kill you before nii-san gets the chance to."

Nanjirou snorted, "What's with you mentioning your brother in every other sentence? You've a brother-complex. Kunimitsu is the same." He frowned in mock seriousness, "I wonder if I should discuss this with your mother. It can't be healthy… maybe we should get some psychologist to look into that."

Ryoma almost bristled at that. "Maybe Rinko-ba-san should do that to you! What sane man spends most of his day lazing about and staring at pictures of half-naked women?"

Nanjirou smirked, "A person who cannot appreciate the beauty of a half-naked woman is neither sane nor a man." He patted Ryoma's head condescendingly, "You'll understand that when you grow up."

Ryoma grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes, "If staring at women causes the brain to shrivel up and die like yours did, I'd rather look the other way."

Nanjirou choked and almost crashed into a pole at his nephew's declaration and Ryoma smirked and silently patted himself on his back.

'_Ryoma: 1, Nanjirou: 0._'

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Fuji hid his amusement as Tezuka stared at him, his face blank and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Let me understand this." Kunimitsu stated after a while, "You saw a man, one you have never met before, unwillingly drag my little brother into his car and drive away, and you didn't bother to say even a word in protest?" the captain asked, his brow twitching.

Fuji smiled innocently, "Come now, Tezuka, I know he was Echizen Nanjirou, your mother's older brother and therefore your uncle. I also know that he has been training Ryoma for a long time now."

Tezuka appeared to have disregarded Fuji's words as he narrowed his eyes. "You mean to tell me that you let my brother, who doesn't even look at girls unless they offer him Ponta, be dragged away by a pervert, without anyone sane providing _supervision?_"

Fuji chuckled as he followed Tezuka when the taller boy started to walk away. "Now, now, Tezuka. Ryoma can take care of himself. Surely you're overreacting."

Kunimitsu scowled, "Last time I left otouto alone with Uncle Nanjirou, Ryoma was so exhausted that he fell sleep in the middle of dinner and I had to carry him to his room. Next day, when he woke up, his body was so stiff that even walking caused him pain. Uncle Nanjirou is careful when he plays against Ryoma but otouto just doesn't know when to stop and he just won't listen to our uncle. Sometimes, uncle gets carried away too." He glared at Fuji, "That's why supervision is necessary."

"Oh." Fuji whispered, a little bit of guilt entering his voice.

Tezuka didn't speak until they parted ways, single-mindedly heading towards his uncle's house.

His aunt wasn't surprised to see him when he rang the bell. "Kunimitsu-kun." She greeted him with a fond smile, leaning up to caress his cheek in a tender gesture, "It has been a long time since I saw you, forgetting your poor aunt, are you?" she asked teasingly as she ushered him into the house.

"I apologize." He answered, his voice as respectful as always. "I have been busy."

Rinko nodded, "A captain and a student council president." She stated with a smile, "You've done us very proud, Kunimitsu." She gestured toward the direction of the tennis court, "You know where Ryo-chan is."

Tezuka bowed slightly before heading towards the court. He heard the two of them before he saw them. Nanjirou was his usual self, taunting and goading Ryoma and his little brother, as always, responded to his uncle immature antics with his characteristic bluntness.

He narrowed his eyes as he analyzed them silently from the shadows. Ryoma was a little breathless and he was sweating but didn't seem to be straining himself.

Just by looking at them, Kunimitsu could see that Ryoma was losing. He wasn't surprised. Their uncle was the only person in his acquaintance that could defeat Ryoma in straight sets. Not even Kunimitsu had been able to defeat Nanjirou though he hadn't lost to his uncle as badly as Ryoma's did in a long while.

Quietly, he settled down on the bench beside the court, knowing that both of them knew of his presence but they were too focused on the game to acknowledge him.

He sighed softly and relaxed, picking up a stray ball to fiddle with while Ryoma concentrated completely on Nanjirou. His keen eyes observed his little brother was flaws, watching with silent pride that every time Ryoma committed a mistake, he would correct it and never repeat it.

That was what made Nanjirou such an excellent teacher. He forced Ryoma to make mistakes and correct them on his own. He pushed Ryoma to the limits and yet increased Ryoma's endurance. Ryoma's ability to learn from observation and experience made him a better tennis player.

That was precisely the reason why Nanjirou disliked training him but loved to coach his little brother. Tezuka was an analytical genius. Although tennis came naturally to him, he had the tendency to think and play.

Ryoma, on the other hand, was born for tennis. His sharp eyesight, the flexibility of his wrist, his capability to play well with both hands, the almost instinctive ability to perform split-steps, it was as though he was engineered to play tennis.

Shifting a little, he glanced down when his hand landed on a book. His brow twitched and he directed a glare at his uncle. What was he thinking? Leaving his perverted books in plain sight, especially in Ryoma's presence?

Scowling, he subtly pushed the book off the bench before using his foot to kick it into the bushes. With narrowed eyes, he glanced about, trying to see if there were any other magazines of dubious nature in sight. It wouldn't do for Ryoma's innocent eyes to see such filth.

Turning his attention back to the match, he frowned. Ryoma was looking a little flushed, his lips were twitching slightly and he was holding his racket as though it was heavy.

It was time.

"Alright, that's enough, Ryoma." Kunimitsu ordered, his voice soft but stern.

Ryoma stilled and turned to glare at him but the older brother simply arched a brow, daring him to object. He tapped his finger against the watch, "It's late. We need to go home. Both of us have homework to do." He extended his hand, "Come otouto."

"You could always stay here for the night. I'm sure imouto wouldn't mind." Nanjirou chirped, knowing that Kunimitsu would deny it instantly.

Sure enough, his oldest nephew narrowed his eyes at him but Ryoma did what Kunimitsu had told him to. Placing his racket on his older brother's hand, he went into the house to freshen up, leaving the two who never got along, alone.

"Soo…" Nanjirou grinned, "Up for a match, Mr. Captain of Seigaku?"

Kunimitsu gave him a cool look, "I am leaving. Ryoma is coming with me. Next time you pick otouto from school, _inform_ me or I'll convince Kaa-san that you are teaching him unsavory things and Ryoma should never be in your presence alone." Nanjirou's eyes widened. That wasn't an empty threat. Ayana knew Kunimitsu's serious nature so well that she'd accept anything he said without even a hint of suspicion. "If you ever let Ryoma's see your books, I'll convince Rinko-ba-chan to burn them right in front of your eyes and send you to a monastery for a month where you'd have no access to them. You like to pretend that you are a monk, why not learn something?"

Again, it wasn't an empty threat.

The older man raised his arms in surrender even if his eyes gleamed in amusement. "Fine, just don't take my toy away."

His nephew scowled at him and Nanjirou chuckled, reaching forward to ruffle Kunimitsu's hair fondly. "Always so tense, Mitsu-chan. Come on." He gently pushed Kunimitsu towards the house, "Let's go inside, shall we? Entertain your Rinko-ba-chan for a while. She really misses the two of you."

Rinko somehow managed to convince her two stoic nephews to stay for dinner. Neither Ryoma or Kunimitsu could ignore her sweet smiles and affectionate eyes.

Nanjirou enjoyed the presence of his nephews even if they had the tendency of pointing out his various flaws in a dry, unimpressed, voice. He knew that it was their way of teasing him.

They were kind to his Rinko though. Both Kunimitsu and Ryoma showered Rinko with well-deserved affection. She was their favorite, Nanjirou knew that.

He almost pouted. He had two tennis prodigies in front of him and yet one was too brainy to teach, and the other was too bratty to tolerate.

And both of them hated him.

Really, no one appreciated him anymore.


End file.
